Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing method for forming a plurality of cut grooves on a plate-shaped substrate to form a plurality of quadrangular prisms.
Description of the Related Art
In an ultrasonic probe, scintillator, etc. using a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric ceramics), a configuration formed by arranging a plurality of minute quadrangular prisms is known (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1999-318893, for example). As a method for forming a plurality of such quadrangular prisms, there is a method including the steps of slicing a plate-shaped substrate in a first direction plural times to form a plurality of portions spaced at given intervals and next slicing the plate-shaped substrate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction plural times to form a plurality of portions spaced at given intervals. This slicing operation is performed by using a cutting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2009-27052, for example. In this cutting apparatus, a cutting blade is rotated at a high speed to cut the plate-shaped substrate. The cutting blade and the plate-shaped substrate are relatively moved to thereby slice the plate-shaped substrate. By performing this slicing operation, a plurality of crossing cut grooves are formed on the plate-shaped substrate to thereby form the plural quadrangular prisms.
In the configuration described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1999-318893 mentioned above, first cut grooves are formed by slicing a plate-shaped substrate in a first direction, and these first cut grooves are next filled with a resin. Thereafter, the plate-shaped substrate is rotated 90 degrees to perform slicing and thereby form second cut grooves extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In the case that the plate-shaped substrate is formed of brittle material as in an ultrasonic probe, scintillator, etc., the rigidity of the plate-shaped substrate is increased by filling the first cut grooves with the resin. Thereafter, the plate-shaped substrate is rotated 90 degrees to perform slicing and thereby form the second cut grooves. As a result, the plural minute quadrangular prisms are formed.